A Life Worth Living For
by Dark Angel 792
Summary: Raina Everdeen, the older sister of Katniss and Prim. When she volunteers for someone special she realises that she has more people she wants to save, above her own life. The only way is by getting out of the Hunger Games alive, a task which will prove more difficult than not. And a task that will continue is she past through the games. CONTAINS OC's :) x


**Thought I'd try out a Hunger Games Fanfic as have recently found a love for this whole series :D Hope you enjoy! **

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Raina Everdeen woke from her slumber just as the first few rays of sunshine began to stream through the makeshift curtains in her and her sister, Katniss Everdeen's, room. She stretched her aching joints as the bed, although comfier than the floor, was hard and lumpy from years of use. She had shared a bed with Katniss for as long as she could remember, and it was now tight for room in the bed with both their maturing bodies.

Raina was eighteen now and she couldn't be happier knowing that if she was not reaped for the Hunger Games this year she never would be, unless they pulled another 1st Quarter Quell where any citizen could compete in the Hunger Games for their district. However Katniss still had several years of reapings to go. Katniss was fourteen, and although understood the significance of the games, she was nowhere near ready to enter the games. Was anyone for that matter?

Raina gently and quietly left the bed to get ready for reaping day morning hunting session. She had trained herself to use a makeshift bow and arrow and set of knives which she and her father had made to hunt animals outside the edge of the district.

Their father had died a couple of years ago in a mining explosion while on the job, and at sixteen she taken on the main role of the household. Some days she would not go to school and worked in the mines instead to try and bring in money. She had tried to avoid taking out tessera, a year's supply of grain and oil for one person, but when her mother had shut down and basically became lifeless and began to hardly work at all, Raina had to as her hunting and the money only went so far.

She had taken out four every year since she was sixteen. Her name was in the reaping glass bowl nineteen times. It wasn't as many as some people from the seam in the district, but it was an amount that made her uncomfortable.

Changing into a brown pair of loose trousers, a brown top, an extremely worn out jumper and a pair of shoes that had multiple holes in, she was ready to leave after quickly yanking a brush through her hair and shoving it into a ponytail.

At this time the district was quiet, quieter than normal as it was on reaping days. Only a few people were up, but nobody was out. With no sign of any peacekeepers she hurried to the fence which bordered district 12. It was meant to be electrified 24 hours a day, but it was only electrified for about 2 hours at night, so the fence was always safe to cross in the morning.

She easily slid through the fence and in her moment of freedom she ran towards the woods. When she visited the woods it was one of the only times she ever felt free. No peacekeepers, no obligations to the capitol. She quickly found the tree where she hid her weapons and began hunting for any animal bigger than a bird.

After almost an hour of looking around it became clear that she was not going to be lucky today. A few birds was all it was going to be that day. She walked towards a small meadow in the woods were about 10 birds were resting. She picked up a small rock and as she was about to throw it into the flock of birds….

"Raina!" Katniss yelled, stumbling into the middle of the meadow scaring all the birds away before she could even draw her bow.

"Katniss," Raina sighed annoyed, coming into her sister's view. Katniss at least looked sheepish as she approached her.

"I forgot to be quiet again, sorry sister," she muttered.

Katniss was great with a bow and arrow, even better than Raina, but she was still learning how to be subtle and quiet while hunting. Raina walked up to her and swung her arm round her little sister's shoulders as they began to walk back to the house.

Raina was upset about the unsuccessful hunt but tried not to show it as to not make Katniss feel any guiltier.

"You're still learning Katniss. You're allowed to make mistakes to learn from them." She looked at her sister who now looked a bit happier. "Now we better start heading back to get ready for this damn reaping."

Katniss pulled a face. "How many slips will you have in the bowl again?"

"Nineteen," she replied with a grimace, and Katniss scowled. Raina knew her sister well enough to get a gist of what Katniss was thinking – _your name wouldn't be in that many times if you let me take tessera _– blah blah.

No way was that happening when Raina could take it.

"May the odds be ever in our favour," she mimicked in her best capitol accent making Katniss laugh.

* * *

It was amazing how time seemed to go faster on reaping days as they got ready. Two small tubs of lukewarm water were awaiting them when they finally got back. Her favourite dress was on the bed, it was one her father had gotten her before he died.

Even though it was tighter since she had originally got it she refused to wear anything different. It was tighter around the chest area, the end of the dress rested just above her knees instead of her shins, but it did not look improper.

She always did her own hair while her mother did Katniss's. Raina's hair was a mess of loose curls that ended at her waist. Many complimented her on her hair and although she preferred it down it was always best to put it up in a bun as it got quite windy in the district.

She had not gotten Katniss's brown locks that she had inherited from her father, Raina shared her hair colour with her little sister, Prim, and her mother, a light shade of blonde.

She put her best black shoes on and then walked into their living room/kitchen to see her mother finishing off with Katniss's hair, and Prim hovering around the pair, wanting her hair the same. Prim saw her enter and ran up to her to hug her legs.

"Raina," she squealed, "you look beautiful!"

Kneeling down next to her little sister she hugged her properly. "Thank you sweetie," she replied, "you look lovely too."

Prim smiled at her brightly before running back to her mother and Katniss, allowing herself to get to her feet again. Even those who were not involved in the reaping itself also had to put on their best clothes, to try and make the districts look presentable to the capitol.

Prim was only 10 so she had yet to be reaped and wouldn't be until after her 12th birthday.

"Do you have to go?" Prim asked sadly, clinging to the bottom of Katniss's dress.

"Yes, we do sweetie," Raina replied, trying to be as collected as possible in hope to not cry as Prim looked at her and Katniss, tears starting to glimmer in her eyes.

Her little sister clasped Katniss's dress harder and hid her face into the skirt. Raina couldn't help but look on with a sad look on her face.

"Sweetie, we've gone through all this before," Raina began to explain, moving forward to rest her hand on Prim's back comfortingly. Prim turned to look at her and Raina picked her up and hugged her again. Prim hid her face into Raina's neck and began to openly cry on her shoulder.

Reaping days really upset Prim now as she know knew and understood that if she or Katniss's names were called by the district 12 escort it was more than likely they would not come back.

Soon the horn sounded, meaning that all the people in district 12 had to go to the town centre for the reaping.

* * *

As she and Katniss joined the queue to be registered at the reaping she noticed that Prim and mother were already in the public watching area.

"NEXT!" a capitol worker yelled.

Raina approached the long table of them, pricking the fingers of all the other children eligible in the district. After 5 years of reapings she was used to automatically giving her finger to the worker. With a quick prick of her finger that slowly began to ooze blood, the worker pushed her finger on to the register before scanning the blood print.

'EVERDEEN, RAINA. 18/YO.'

She headed to the 18 year old female section while also trying to keep an eye on Katniss who was heading towards the group of 14 year old girls. The square was extremely crowded and Raina, although used to people, always felt claustrophobic at reapings. Standing in the clump of older girls she looked at the stage that was set out.

She could hardly take her eyes off the two glass bowls that would send 2 district 12 kids to their death.

The mayor, as per usual, began his speech, followed by Effie Trinkett, the district 12 escort that never bothered to hide the fact she wanted a better district. Effie was very capitol, everything she wore was a very distinct neon blue – her clothes, her lipstick, and her wig… well with the amount of times she 'dyed' it it could simply not be her normal hair.

The only mentor for 12 now, Haymitch Abernathy, arrived late, yet again and drunk out of his skull, yet again. He was sat sloppily in his seat, obviously passed out.

It was no wonder district 12 did not have a victor, between an escort who wanted a better district and a mentor who was continuously drunk and the career districts of 1, 2 and 4.

Effie had clearly taken over the stage now, it was the moment the whole district dreaded.

"Happy hunger games! And may the odds be ever in your favour!" Effie exclaimed excitedly, smiling at everyone who didn't smile back. "Ladies first!"

She headed towards the glass ball which contained the girls' names and dug her hand within the middle of the slips before pulling one out. Raina held in her breath and hoped her name was not called. Effie opened the slip, smiled again and spoke into the microphone.

"Katniss Everdeen!"

Raina completely froze. How could this have happened? Katniss had only 3 slips in that bowl as she had refused to let her take the tessera. She finally found Katniss in the crowd, no blood in her face and she was beginning to walk stiffly to the stage.

Katniss, although good with a bow and arrow, would not stand a chance in the arena. Her eyes then sought out her mother and Prim. Her mother's facial features showed pain, which was a definite change to her mother's usual emotionless face and then there was Prim.

Poor Prim. She was absolutely wailing into their mother's skirt, the skirt clenched tightly in her little fists.

Prim got along better with Katniss. Not because she loved Raina any less, but because Katniss had taken over the mother role whereas Raina had took on the opposite, and had stopped spending as much time with her.

Her decision was made before she even knew it. Her feet moved before her mind could process what she was doing.

"KATNISS!" she yelled, starting to run toward her, pushing through the crowd.

Peacekeepers grabbed her arms as she screamed, "I VOLUNTEER!"

Shock silenced everyone, and Raina collected herself and spoke calmly but loudly, "I volunteer at tribute."


End file.
